February 27, 2025

 Moderators: Sara Clancey and Jason Snead

Panelists: Amber Hansen, Krista Howard, Sharon Malone, and Jordan Moon

Session Description: Historically, individuals with disabilities have seldom been subjects of research activity intended to establish foundations of parenting support. However, recent literature suggests that they experience pregnancy at the same rate as those without disabilities. These individuals experience similar parenting struggles as others, in addition to any issues resulting from their disability or its intersection with raising children. A panel of parents will discuss their experiences raising children and navigating parenthood while having a disability. They will also provide their perspective on the benefits of three new parenting programs in Arizona, and the most pertinent issues that need to be addressed. This panel will amplify the voices of the disability community, which is crucial for understanding the most significant issues faced by parents with disabilities.

Key Learning Outcomes

1. Understand some of the positive things about being a parent with a disability and the different perspectives being a parent provides.
2. Understand how parents with disabilities can successfully parent with appropriate supports
3. Leave with a wider knowledge of the barriers parents with disabilities face

Presenter: Matthew Shapiro

Session Description: Here is the Million Dollar question…When evaluating job applicants, does a College Degree matter more than the skills and resilience obtained navigating daily life as a Person With a Disability (PWD)? College graduate and America’s Disability Advisor©️ Matthew Shapiro will challenge you to reconsider, examine, and question your stance and viewpoint on the importance placed on college degrees and other credentials versus the problem-solving skills, creativity, drive, and strength that comes from navigating lived experiences as a person with a disability.

Key Learning Outcomes

1. Gain a better understanding of innate disabled life skills
2. Challenge the balance between formal learned education and lived experiences and for skill development
3. Learn to implement innate disabled (soft) skills into their own daily lives

Presenter: Arielle Silverman, PhD

Session Description: In this talk, Dr. Arielle Silverman shares her experiences growing up with a congenital disability as reflected in her memoir, Just Human. Highlighting anecdotes from her life and advocacy work, she will share guidance on ways to honor the dignity and individuality of all people, including those with a body or mind that is different from the norm, as well as practical lessons on how we can all move to the “disability justice” stage of inclusion.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Describe the unique challenges of building a positive sense of self while growing up with a congenital disability.
• Identify common mental, emotional, and behavioral blocks that can keep us from progressing to disability justice.
• Identify actionable steps toward promoting disability justice in participants’ local communities.

Presenter: Tanner Gers

Session Description: Are people with disabilities less capable? Is equal employment not possible for the disability community? Perhaps it’s our approach.

Working across multiple states, we have consistently observed significant gaps in employment readiness among blind, low-vision, deaf-blind, and neurodivergent clients. These gaps include deficiencies in professionalism, etiquette, business sense, and soft skills that are hindering disabled job seekers from securing interviews and employment. Additionally, we have found that the hard skills that lead to success in educational settings do not always directly translate to success in work environments.

This presentation outlines some of the disparities in employment readiness for individuals with disabilities, identifies their causes, and offers a new approach—the Getting Hired Playbook model. This model aims to teach disabled job candidates why businesses hire talent, how to communicate their value, and how to position themselves as the best candidate for a role.

Key Learning Outcomes

1. Participants will gain an understanding of how our current academic and vocational training programs do not prepare people with significant disabilities to compete in corporate America.
2. Participants will understand a different approach to employment readiness—one that focuses on teaching expectations of professionalism, punctuality, communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving and then holding participants accountable for meeting these expectations.

Presenters: Karen Hughes and Becky Davidson

Session Description: Service dogs and emotional support animals are not the same. This session will explore the differences between service dogs, particularly guide dogs, and emotional support animals (ESAs) in the services and tasks they perform, the training they receive, and the protections provided by the American Disabilities Act (ADA). While ESAs have grown in popularity, there are no uniform state or national rules to regulate them. As a result, the growth in ESAs has had some negative consequences for guide dog handlers. We will explore the impact ESAs in the areas of public transportation, housing, access to buildings and business establishments, and even aggressive dog on dog behaviors.

Key Learning Outcomes

1. Attendees will understand the differences between service dogs, particularly guide dogs, and emotional support animals.
2. Attendees will know the importance of following policies and guidelines to ensure the safety of the guide dog team
3. Attendees will understand the legal requirements for allowing guide dogs into business establishments, rideshare services, etc.

Sara Clancey holds a doctorate in infant and early childhood development with a focus on infant mental health. She is a registered occupational therapist who has provided early intervention, in-home, and community setting services for over 15 years. Dr. Clancey specializes in serving families of young children with disabilities from underserved populations who live on rural and tribal lands. She is endorsed in infant mental health and provides reflective supervision of early intervention and home visiting providers. Dr. Clancey is the director of the Growing in Beauty Partnership Program, which provides early intervention services across the Navajo Nation.

Becky Davidson is a member of Guide Dog Users Inc (GDUI), a special affiliate of the American Council of the Blind (ACB). She lives in Charlotte, NC and is currently partnered with her fourth guide dog. Becky has been active with Guide Dog Users, Inc. (GDUI) for over 20 years. Much of her work involves educating about service dogs, the rights of service dog handlers, and understanding what is and is not a service dog.

Tanner Gers is the Managing Director of AccessAbility Officer whose vision is that the US disabled unemployment rate be the same as the general US unemployment rate. Tanner holds an MBA from Louisiana State University at Shreveport, a BA in Communications from the University of Arizona, and unexpectedly joined the disability community as an adult because of an auto accident in 2004. Tanner is a product of Vocational Rehabilitation, but never achieved gainful employment as a result of the training, services, or educational achievements received under VR. Since entering the field on his own accord, Tanner has built multiple digital accessibility agencies, served as a consultant, and is experienced across the private and non-profit sectors.

Amber Hansen is a Deaf wife & mother of four. She was born & raised in Mesa, AZ. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Family & Human Development as well as a master’s degree in Social Work from Arizona State University. Amber is currently a postgraduate therapist with My Deaf Therapy. She is working towards becoming a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). She is also a self-proclaimed research nerd, specifically about language development in deaf children. Amber loves quality time with family & friends, running, Mexican food, dates with her husband, and documentaries.

Krista Howard is an AAC user, an AAC Mentor, and a consultant with We Speak AAC, LLC. Krista provides support in various Virtual Social Groups including Kate Ahern’s AAC Voices and Therapy One’s Out and About. Krista has presented at many conferences around the nation sharing her experience as an AAC user and a model for other AAC users.

Krista is a mom of a 13-year-old. In addition to raising her son and working, she is a student at Arizona State University pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree. Krista is also enrolled in the SLPA program at NAU. She plans to be the first SLPA who is an AAC user.

Karen is a dedicated advocate for individuals with blindness and low vision. With over 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry, her passion is empowering individuals experiencing blindness for the first time, helping them navigate challenges and embrace independence. She believes in the importance of living life to the fullest and encourages others to participate in experiences that promote awareness and break down barriers. Karen serves as the Membership Co-Chair at the Arizona Council of the Blind (ACB). She is also a guide dog user; her dog Nala is her 5th guide dog.

Sharon Malone, Ms. Wheelchair Arizona 2024, and second runner-up for Ms. Wheelchair America 2025, is a disability activist whose goal is to keep people within the disability community safe. With violence being the third largest contributor to injuries related to disabilities, her Ms. Wheelchair Arizona platform focuses on safety education for people with disabilities.

Jordan Moon is the Phoenix Center Director of Saavi Services for the Blind, a non-profit statewide agency serving thousands of blind children, adults, and seniors throughout the state of Arizona.

Matthew Shapiro is a 2013 graduate of VCU where he completed a Bachelors of Interdisciplinary Studies degree. Throughout college he participated in several internships including opportunities with The White House, The U.S. Department of Transportation, as well as with several Virginia area disability organizations.  In 2014, he developed a disability consulting company called 6 Wheels Consulting.  It is the goal of 6 Wheels Consulting, LLC to work with businesses of all types to help advance their understanding of disability culture. In his free time, he enjoys learning about politics, watching sports, and hanging out with his dog, VP.

Arielle is a disabled activist and a social scientist who is passionate about improving public understanding of life with disabilities. Professionally, she has spent fifteen years conducting research on the social psychology of disability. Personally, she has spent a lifetime learning and teaching with fellow members of the disability community.

Jason Snead graduated from the University of Houston with a double major in Political Science and Economics. He then attended Arizona Summit Law School and graduated in 2016. He works at the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council as the Research and Communication Specialist. He serves on the Phoenix Mayor & Commission for Disability Issues and the Arizona ABLE Oversight Committee. He is a proud father to Sam and Jamison. Also, is happily married to Autumn and has cerebral palsy. He is passionate about disability issues in employment. Lastly, he is a Certified Sexual Educator.